Folding go-cart.



- No. 879,907. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

M. B. RIFFO. .FOLDING GO-OART.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITH 8858.- vIHVEHTb/i' aw MKJ ATran/mi PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

M. B. RIPFO. FOLDING GO-GART. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M s Enron 0000 0 $3 n Q o 0 0o 8 o owooo fl f /3 5% A ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

MARION B. RIFFO, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING eo-cAa'r.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed June 26. 1907. Serial No. 380.857.

Patented. Feb. 25, 1908.

Folding Go-Carts, of which the following is a A true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which to be used as a perambulator.

form apart thereof.

. My present invention relates to that type of light carriage or go-cart in which the parts normally unite to form a vehicle of the usual character for wheeling infants or small children about, but can becollapsed or folded into a comparatively small space to facilitate thestorage of the carriage or its transportation when the circumstances do not permit it The object of my present invention is to provide a carriage of relatively inexpensive and simple construction in'which the parts may be quickly and easily converted from the normal running form or condition into the folded'form or condition or vice verse-and.

in which the conversion from one formto the other-can be made without disturbing the occupant, and in which the parts when in the folded condition form a compact and convenient device for carrying the occupant. So

far as I am-aware, I am the first to devise a carriage possessing all of these advantages.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For

a better understanding of my invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it reference ma be had to'the accompanying drawin s' an descriptive matter in which'I have il ustrated and described one of the invention may be carried out.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva- =tionof the carriage in its normal or perambuyla'ting conditionw Fig. 2 is an elevation takenat right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View taken similarly to Fig. 1 but showing 'the'fcarriage in its collapsedor folded condition, and, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the framework.

In the drawings, F represents the bottom, and F the sides of'the carriage body or seat portion.

F are outwardly extending arm rests car- I 'I I n men at the tops or the side portions.

TO the under side of the bottom portion F at its front end is secured a bar or rod H A'front wheel frame formed of links or members H hinged on the-bar H supports the axle A on which the front wheels K are journaled. A

pair of side frame members A are hinged 'to the front wheel frame as by journali'ng each member A on the axle A between the adjacent wheel and member H. Each member A is provided withan elongated slot A 'h'av ing a transversely extending portion A at its upper end. The slot A in each bar receives the corresponding end guides of a shaft G secured to the under side of the seat bottom Fat its rear end.

,In the perambulating condition of theca'r riageshown in Fig. 1 the ends of the bars G rest in and are supported by the walls of the transversely extending portions A of the slots A. A rear wheel frame or support is formed by links C connected to the side frames A by pintles C adjacent the transverse slot portions A frame supports the axle D carrying the rear wheels K Each and of the axle Di's also connected to the frame member .A adjacent to the front axle A by an elbow brace formed of links I), D Each link D is pivoted to the The rear wheel a correspondin frame member A at 'D, and 35 each link D is pivoted'to the axle D. links D and D of each brace are pivoted "to- Thegether at D the connection being such that the pivotal connection D can move up but not down from the position shown in Fig. 1. A member G having a handle Gr near its upper end, forms a back for the carriage body which is adjustable to some extent between the side arms F by means of a bin e connection with the shaft G; Brackets may be arranged to form stops for the back- Ward movement of the member G. A yoke-shaped handle L for operating the carriage as a erambulator has its ends pivoted 'on the en s of a bar B connecting the u per ends of' the frame members A. 'E ow.

sponding frame member A at E and the I other link ivoted to the correspondin' Jen'd A foot rest J is -ung on the bar H and is connected to'the memof the han le L at E hers H by straps J With the position of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the carriage can be employed as a perambulator in the usual way. The welght of the seat or body portion effectually secures the ends of the member G in the ends of the transverse slot portions A This holding action may be supplemented by latches connecting the seat portion and side frames A if thought desirable but I do not regard such latches as necessary.

When it is desired to collapse the vehicle, as to take it on a street car or the like, the operator may readily do this by holding the axle D stationary, and shifting the carriage body by the handle G to carry the ends of the bar G out of the trans verse portions A of v the slots in the members A and into the longitudinal portions of the slots. The body of the carriage is then allowed to descend, and the endsof the bar G- travel down in the slots A. During this part of the operation the front wheel framefolds under the vehicle into the position shown in Fig. 3, and the framev members A are carried into a substantial vertical position, lifting the rear wheels off the ground. While this.transformation is being carried out, or after it is completed, the operator lifts first one and then the other 0 the ivot points D and thus allows the braces 5 to collapse, so that the frame members U swing into substantial parallelism with the frame members H, thus carrying the wheels K into the )osition shown in Fig. 3. The tread of the w eels K is made sufficiently wider than that of the wheels K so that the wheels K can clear the wheels K. The braces E are then collapsed,

and the handle L drawn forward into the position in which it is.held by the spring retainers A secured to the side frames A shown in Fig. 3. This completes the conversion of the vehicle into the folded form. It is apparent that the vehicle can be readily converted from the folded form of Fig. 3 into the normal running form of Fig.1 with easeby reversing the steps necessary to convert it from the running form into the folded form.

'VVhen in the folded form, thevehicle is very compact, and the occupant, which need not have been disturbed in the conversion,-

can be readily transported with the carriage by the handle G and bar B, the parts being so arranged that the bar 13 and handle G come to ether and may be simultaneously grasped .)y one hand of theoperator. The

arts may be secured in this position by l atches G carried by the back G and engaging the bar B when the latter is in the collapsed condition. While I have shown the back G? as occupying a position in Fi 3 different from that of Fig. 1, it is obvious that by a different arrangement of parts, as by increasing the distance between parts B and, G in Fig. 1, the bar B and handle Gr may be brought together with the back G in the position of Flg. 1.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A folding go-cart or carriage comprising a seat or body portion, a front wheel frame hinged to the body portion adjacent its front end, side frames connected to the front wheel frame at'points remote from the connection of the latter to the seat or body portion, rear wheel supports connected to the side frames, and means for detachably securing the side frames to theseat or body portion to hold the parts in position to permit the carriage to be used as a perambulator, the parts being so arranged that when the side frames are released the front wheel frame may be foldedunder the seat or body portion and the side frames and the rear wheel supports lifted with respect to the body or seat portion.

2. A folding go-cart or carriage comprising a seat or body portion, a front wheel frame hinged to the body portion adjacent its front end, side frames hinged to thefront wheel frames at points remote from the connection of the latter to the seat or body portion and slidingly connected to the seat or body portion adjacent its rear end, rear wheel supports connected to the side frames and means for detachably securing the side frames to the seat or body portion-to hold the parts in position to permit the carriage to be used as a )erambulator, the parts being so arranged l are released they may be slid upward with respect tothe body or seat portion to fold the front wheel frame under the said body or seat portion and raise the rear wheel supports.

3. A folding go-cart or carria e comprising a seat or body portion, a but wheel frame hinged to the body portion adjacent t lat when the side frames I its front end, side frames hinged to the front wheel frame at points remote from the connections of the latter to the seat or body por tion, said side frames being provided with longitudinal slots terminating at their upper ends in transverse downwardly extendmg portions, rear wheel supports connected to the side frames, pintles or projections carried by the seat or body portion adjacent its rear end which enter theslots in the side frames and rest in the transverse portions thereof to hold the carriage in the perambulator condition,,but may be moved into the longitudinal slot portions to permit the carria e to be collapsed.

4. A folding go-cart or carriage com rising a seat or body portion, a-front w eel frame hinged to the bod portion adjacent its front end,'side frames inged to the front wheel frame atpoints remote from the-connection of the latter to the seat or body portions, sliding connections between the side frames and the body or's'eat portion, rear wheel supports hinged to the side frames,

collapsible braces extending between the side frames and the rear wheel supports, and

' a seat or body portion, a front wheel frame hinged to the body portion adjacent its front end, side frames hinged to the front wheel frame at points remote from the connection of the latter to the seat or body portion, sliding connections between the side frames and the body or seat portion, rear wheel supports hinged to the side frames, collapsible braces extending between the side frames and the rear wheel supports, means for detachably securing, the side frames to the seat or body portion to hold the parts in position to permit the carriage to be used a perambulator, the parts being so arranged that the carriage may be collapsed by sliding the side frames relative to the seat or body portion to hold the front wheel frame under the body portion and by collapsing said braces to permit the rear wheel support to be turned toward the front wheel frame, and a handle for manipulatin the carriage as a perambulator, and a secon handle for use in converting the carriage from one form into the other and in carrying the carriage and its occupant when the carriage is in its collapsed or folded form.

6. A folding go-cart or carriage comprising a seat or body portion, a front wheel frame hinged to the body portion adjacent its front end, side frames connected to the front wheel frame at points remote from the connection of the latter to the seat or body portion, rear wheel supports connected'to the side frames, means for detachably securing the side frames to the seat or body portion to hold the parts in position to ermlt the carriage to be used as a perambu ator, the parts being so arranged that the carriage may be collapsed when the side frames are released by folding the front wheel frame under the seat or body portion and elevating the side frames and rear wheel supports relative to the body or seat portion, and means for detachably securing said parts in the collapsed condition. r

7. A folding go-cart or carriage comprising a seat,or body portion, a front wheel frame hinged to the body portion adjacent its front end, side frames connected to the front wheel frame at points remote from the connection of the latter to the seat or body portion, rear wheel supports connected to the side frames, means for detachably securing the side frames to the seat or body portion to hold the parts in position to ermit the carriage to be used as a perambu ator, the parts being so arranged. that the carriage may be collapsed when the side frames are released by folding the front wheel frame under the seat or body portion and elevating the side frames and rear wheel supports relative to the body or seat ortion, a handle Gr connected to the boy or seat portion, and a handle B connected to the side frame and brought into close proximity to the handle Gr when the carriage is collapsed.

MARION B. RIFFO.

Witnesses S. YTHWART, H. T. BENNETT. 

